Yesterdayanurse Asked May 10, 2026
Has anyone experienced a misdiagnosis of dementia?
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I’m starting to wonder if my husband was misdiagnosed and that perhaps his issues in January were from taking Naltrexone that his PCP started him on. Up to that point, he was forgetful and sometimes confused but his mental state took a nose-dive when he tried to take the naltrexone and ended up in the hospital for 6 days. He is in memory care now but about the same as he was a year ago.
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Above is your first post. Gives a little more background.
Your husband has Parkinsons. A debilitating desease on its own. The final stages Dementia will come into the picture because its a neurological desease. I so hope you are not relying on PCP to care for your husband. He needs a Neurologist.
Besides the desease, he is an alchoholic which effects the brain too. " Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), often colloquially called "wet brain, stems from the constant drinking of alchohol." Its a B1, thiamine deficiency. You could have him checked for that.
You don't say how old he is. If your husband is in memory care, there is a good reason why the NP signed for him to be placed there. She may have felt his care is too much for you. If you have not done it yet, you may want to see an Elder Lawyer about splitting your assets. His split going towards his care. When the money runs out, you then apply for Medicaid. Once Medicaid takes over, you can remain in the home, have a car and part or all of your monthly income to live on.
Your DH is an alcoholic with Parkinson's. Both heavy drinking AND PD cause brain issues and dementia. Just the drinking alone is enough to cause encephalopathy or Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome. I doubt DH was "misdiagnosed"......he was just worse while taking the Naltrexone.
Dementia in a loved one is very difficult to accept, I know. Especially seeing them seemingly improving in managed care. 2 points. First, they're in a routine in MC where they're fed, medicated, showered and socialized regularly. Their world has been shrunken down to accommodate their limitations. There's nothing to cook, no thermostats to adjust, no tools to use, nowhere to get lost.....the most complicated things they have to deal with is the TV remote and the phone. And there's enough problems with those! Seeing DH in a structured, perfect environment is not the same as seeing him in a home environment where lots of chaos prevails and they cannot function.
Secondly, dementia is not linear. In other words they'll have good days and bad days. On good days you think, my God, he's really fine! I've made a mistake placing him! Refer to point #1 for why he's functioning so well. Plus, he's having a good day. The Bad days, on the other hand, will reinforce why he is living where he's living. Mom would have days where she could carry on a conversation pretty decently. Then go into her room and talk into the TV remote insisting it was the phone. She was brilliant at small talk.....which came from muscle memory. "Hi how are you, lovely outfit you're wearing today!" Saying thst would make the recipient suspicious that she had ANY dementia at all. But ask her a question that diverted from her rehearsed lines and she'd be lost. Showtiming can trick even doctors who aren't alert.
Dementia is tricky and changes like a chameleon. If DH is thriving where he's at, thank God and leave him be, that's my advice. Bringing him home can open up a Pandoras Box that is impossible to close up again.